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“I am?” I try to play coy.
“MXB.” She says the initials slowly. “Madden Xavier Bishop. Took me longer than it should have, but I eventually figured it out. Thought you had no idea what it was?”
I don’t respond right away. I stare at her, contemplating my next move. “How?”
She shrugs. “I hired a private investigator.” I lift my eyebrows at her. “You weren’t giving me any answers and neither was the internet so I showed him the charges and asked him if he could find out where they were coming from. It led me here. You can find out anything if you throw enough money at it, and we both know I have an endless supply of it. So now,” she says, poking her finger into my chest as she squares her shoulders, “I want answers.”
“No, you don’t,” I say, grabbing her elbow and turning her away from the entrance. “Go home and be a good girl, Emery. You don’t belong here.” I try to walk her down the sidewalk toward my car, but she jerks her arm away from me.
“No.” She turns toward me. “I deserve answers, Mads, and stop bossing me around. You aren’t in charge of me now that Dane is gone and I’m certainly not your responsibility.”
“Enough!” I snap, grabbing both of her arms and walking her till her back is against the wall of the club. “I’m not bossing you around. I’m the one thinking logically in all this. You’re reacting on emotion. Do us both a fucking favor and get your ass into the back seat of my car before I fucking put you there myself.” I expect her to give up, but her eyes tell me a different story. She’s determined and she’s not leaving. “And for fuck’s sake, cover up.” With my last statement, she giggles… actually fucking giggles.
“Why? Is it distracting you, Mads?” Her lips curl seductively. “I’m not leaving until I get inside your club with or without you. Besides…” She steps closer, tilting her chin to look up at me. “Maybe I want to go inside and let my hair down. I’m not the good girl you always think I am, you know.”
Something inside me snaps. I should throw her over my shoulder and take her home myself, but I don’t. I grab her wrist and turn, dragging her toward the entrance. “Fine, you want to see what kind of club it is? Let’s go.”
I nod toward Ricky as we step inside. The dimly lit entrance has a desk where members check in and a coatroom to the right. It has the timeless elegance of a speakeasy, deep reds and gold with dark wood accents. Soft music plays over the speakers. I watch as she takes in the sights and colors.
“Right this way, Mr. Bishop.” The hostess, adorned with a black and gold mask that covers her eyes, pulls back the red velvet curtain, ushering us inside.
My hand rests gently at the base of Emery’s back, her warm skin feeling like it’s going to burn through my fingertips at any second. Her head turns from right to left as she scans the room. Small tables and booths are scattered throughout the dimly lit room. A jazz band plays on a small stage and a bar lines either side of the space. It’s not too loud as small murmurs of conversations echo through the room while cocktail waitresses dressed in tasteful lingerie linger between tables, taking orders and offering cigars. Tessa, one of the club’s more popular waitresses, sits on a patron’s lap. Her head falls back as she giggles, one of her mile-long legs extending outwardly. I fully expect Emery to turn back and look at me with a dramatic eye roll or a judging look, but she doesn’t.
“Doesn’t seem so scary,” she says toward me over her shoulder when we approach the bar. I drag my fingers slowly up her back, leaning in to smell her hair. It smells fresh and sweet, like vanilla and vetiver.
“That’s the point,” I murmur into her ear, letting my body press slightly against hers. “Just a jazz lounge with high-end cigars and beautiful women to take your order.”
She spins around, her back now against the bar as she rests her elbows atop the bar. I don’t put any space between us with her change in position so her clearly braless tits press against my chest.
“So, why all the secrecy? Dane enjoyed expensive scotch and he loved a good cigar even more. Why would I care that he was waited on by sexy, half-dressed women?” Her eyes glance over toward Tessa again who has her hands in the patron’s hair, talking to him like she’s in love with him. She swallows, shrugging nonchalantly like she’s trying to pretend it wouldn’t bother her if I told her Dane let Tessa sit on his lap.
“Do you really think I’m charging a million dollars a year for membership at a speakeasy?”
“I don’t pretend to understand men.” She shrugs with a smile. “I know how you all love your man caves and time away from your wives. Not to mention how much rich men love privacy and exclusivity.”
“But not Dane, right? You always said he wasn’t like the rest of us degenerates.” She looks at me anxiously and I gesture back toward the room of people. “There are wives here too, Emery. This might be a gentleman’s club, but the men are allowed to bring their wives if they’re also a paying member.”
“I wasn’t a member.” She says it matter-of-factly, like it absolves Dane for not telling her about his dalliances here, but she knows it’s much more than that. Frankly, it’s starting to piss me off how obtuse she is to everything right in front of her.
“So that’s it? You find out your husband was hiding something from you, something that cost a million dollars a year, and you just shrug it off?”
“The money is inconsequential.”
“Right.” I run my hand over my jaw. “But I was the evil one? The… what did you call me at your anniversary party? Oh, that’s right, the big bad wolf.”
“Couples have secrets, that’s nothing new, Mads. Just because he’s dead and I made the mistake of sleeping with you doesn’t mean anything. He was twice the man you are.” She says the last part with disdain, practically spitting the words at me to try and hurt me or maybe she’s lashing out due to grief or guilt.
I take a step closer to her, our bodies pressed against each other as I reach up to brush her hair away from her face. It’s stupid to let people see us like this, even at a club where everyone knows what happens here, stays here. I lean in, my lips lingering over hers for a second. Her pupils are dilated, her breath growing more shallow. Desire is written all over her face. I know that if I leaned in and kissed her, she’d melt at my feet.
“Mistake or not, Em, we both know Dane never made you scream like that.”
Her mouth falls open and I just know her hand is itching to slap me, but I step back, putting space between us before she can make that mistake again.
“Come here.” I grab her hand. “I think you need to see the rest of the club. It was Dane’s favorite part.” I lead her through the room, down the hall toward my office. “Stay here.” I step inside, grabbing a mask from my desk. “Turn around.” She obeys and I slide the mask over her face and tie the silk ribbon.
“What is this?”
“You wanted to see the club, didn’t you? Well, the rules state that everyone has to wear a mask in the VIP section.” I grab her hand and lead her back through the room again. This time one of the curtains on the far end of the room pulls back and another woman in a mask greets us. She opens a door, revealing a set of stairs that lead down. I turn around and look at Emery. “Don’t let go of my hand.”
